The Giants placed reliever Cory Gearrin on outright waivers last week, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (video link). No one claimed Gearrin, however, and he remains a member of the Giants. The luxury-tax threshold helped influence the decision to waive Gearrin, per Rosenthal, who points out that San Francisco is $2MM-plus above the $197MM figure. Had someone taken Gearrin off the Giants’ hands, it would have saved the team upward of $1MM and helped give it more flexibility as the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline approaches. It’s no surprise the 32-year-old Gearrin went unclaimed, though, given that he has recorded a 5.11 ERA over 24 2/3 innings with unappealing walk, groundball and home run rates (4.74 BB/9, 34.2 GB percentage, 1.82 HR/9).
Now the latest from the AL West:
- The Angels haven’t capitalized on center fielder Mike Trout’s presence, evidenced by their zero playoff wins since he burst on the scene in 2012, leading Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times to wonder if he’d consider signing an extension with the team if it doesn’t become a major contender soon. Trout, who’s under control through 2020 on the six-year, $144.5MM deal he signed in 2014, isn’t sure about his future at this point. “I don’t know the answer,” he told Shaikin. “I want to get to the playoffs. That’s my mindset. I can’t predict the future. So I just take it one game at a time now and see what happens.” The Trout-led Angels (37-28) are firmly in the playoff hunt this year, but in spite of their impressive record, they’re still 3.5 games out in both the AL West and the wild-card race. While Shaikin opines that the Angels could use some outside help around the trade deadline to help snap their three-year playoff drought, general manager Billy Eppler offered: “It’s tough to get that starting pitcher. It’s tough to get that everyday bat, or impact bat. Those are harder to acquire.” On the other hand, Eppler noted that the trade market’s typically “flush with relievers whose contracts are expiring at the end of the year.”
- The Rangers announced that they’ve placed right-hander Doug Fister on the disabled list, retroactive to Saturday, and recalled infielder Hanser Alberto from Triple-A. It’s the second DL stint of the year for Fister, who’s dealing with a right knee strain. He previously missed time in April with a right hip strain. Thanks in part to his injury issues, it hasn’t been a particularly good season for the 34-year-old Fister, whom the Rangers added on a $4MM guarantee in free agency. Despite a 50.4 percent groundball mark and a low walk rate (2.59 per nine), Fister has logged 4.50 ERA/5.19 FIP over 66 innings and 12 starts. Given that Texas won’t be in contention around the deadline, the team could market the veteran if he’s healthy, though it seems unlikely he’ll have much of any value.
- The Astros have placed reliever Joe Smith on the DL and recalled lefty Reymin Guduan from Triple-A, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic tweets. Smith’s battling “elbow discomfort,” which obviously isn’t the most reassuring ailment for a pitcher. Like Fister, Smith inked a free-agent contract over the winter and has endured a down season. The recipient of a two-year, $15MM pact, the normally solid Smith has put up a 5.49 ERA in 19 2/3 innings, but he has managed quality strikeout, walk and grounder rates (9.15 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, 49.0 GB percentage).
FIX YOUR SITE THE POPUPS ARE OUT OF CONTROL
Yeah I’m not sure what the deal is. It’s been getting out of hand lately, to the point that I actually visit the site less.
It’s the best place for MLB news but when every single link sends me to some popup telling me i won a free iPhone….. gets super annoying
That use to happen to me A LOT, but it stopped doing it like 6 months ago. Don’t know why, but I’m glad it did!
Use a phone and you’ll get no pop ups within the app
Is anyone else having an issue when you tilt phone sideways, the app freezes up?
No. I have an Android if that matters…..
Sometimes it does that on mine. I’m having a lot of trouble with postings . If it’s a longer post , it won’t post all of it
and I have to start another one. Just like it just did right then! I think it’s my poor phone service. SORRY guys!
No I hate tilting the phone I have an iPhone
I still have rotary phone
Haha
Get ad blockers. I have on for my iPhone and desktop.
Look for the Giants to trade someone like Sam Dyson, who is still owed over 2 million on a 4.5 million dollar contract. Still possible to trade Panik and slide Hanson in to have an even larger savings to aquire a pitcher. A healthy Belt could theoretically be on the block to get under the threshold and give Shaw a chance, while giving them the flexibility to gain an experienced pitcher on an expiring contract.
giants should have traded one of the high price starters last year. Belt is who you trade while his value is back up because he is a streaky hitter. Jackson they should have traded to save them some money with gorky taking his spot. If they trade panik package Gerrin with him to save more money.
The reason to get under the tax threshold has nothing to do with this year. The Giants are going after Bryce Harper next off season and they don’t want to pay 50 cents on the dollar in penalty for that mega contract. Shaw is the future of left field for the Giants, that is where he has played all season in AAA and Belt’s contract will be too hard too move. Hanson is too much of a defensive liability to be an every day 2nd baseman, he is better as a super sub play different positions as needed.
You sir, are high. I’m so sure the giants are comfortable trading panik (who is only making $3.5 million this year) for Hanson who has been a bust his whole career . Yeah they’d really trust the whopping 60 ABs he’s had this year and go ahead and trade panik. Belt’s been there best player this year , not going to trade him, there bullpen has been their bright spot and they aren’t deep so dyson won’t be traded either.
hahaha ramiro. good job giving reasons why he was wrong but you offered no solutions. giants WILL get under the threshold before season ends, so someone will get moved. i agree it could be dyson but giants may end up doing something like trade austin jackson and a low level prospect for cash considerstions. basically to take jacksons contract off their hands the giants will give up a prospect
Yeah agreed, they have to get out of the repeaters tax for sure. I think it’s either gotta be gearin or jackson. Gearin has good stuff and has been good at times so I don’t think it’s unreasonable for a team to take him along with a single A pitcher for the $1.7 million he is getting
Dyson has been an experiment that has generally been successful. If you canget a return of some kind of prospect and get under the tax with him it totally makes sense to do so, the other option of course would be to find a way to salary dump pence.
“but he (Joe Smith) has managed quality strikeout, walk and grounder rates (9.15 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, 49.0 GB percentage).”
No problem with the K and grounder rate but 3.2 BB per nine is not good.
League average BB/9 is 3.29
Would think they wanted more, and most consider good as more, than average
So, in theory, how would you suppose they could go under the tax threshhold? I didn’t say it would be pretty. I highly doubt, in fact, I would put money on them not going after Harper. Bame the last megacontract they gave someone who was not on the team befire signing a long-term contract? They don’t do it. So high? No, just a realist.
Billy Eppler offered: “It’s tough to get that starting pitcher. It’s tough to get that everyday bat, or impact bat. Those are harder to acquire.”
Google Translation GM Speak to English:
“We’re in a soft rebuild, we don’t want to deal any of our top prospects.”
The Giants will have to DFA Gaerrin because he is terrible and the teams confidence plummets when he is in the game and of course nobody claimed him.
They potentially should try the same approach with Jackson, or trade him. Sadly, this is another Evans blunder, non moveable players that are performing terribly for too much money and holding the Giants make from making realistic moves.
Still responsible for the contract if you DFA him. Most keyboard warriors bash on this site without contributing to any coherent responses. The fact is, the Giants will need to make some hard decisions regarding their payroll.
…..In the off season,their Trades will be their health and maybe Duggar or Shaw or a DFA from another Team because they will be contending.Check History,Veterans get better in the Summer,this Team is starting to evolve and that is just an Eye Test not stupid Stats,that’s for Kids and People that really don’t pay close attention and know History!
You are talking about incoherent bashing with name like antibelt? Yes they would be responsible for the contract. But in the idea of actually competing Gaerrin needs to not come in to another game. Sometimes (just like the Red Sox do) you have to eat a contract to get an inferior player off the field. And that’s a relatively small contract. Giants are not getting Harper, so not competing now just for the slight chance they do is stupid. Ask them how Giancarlo worked out, why leverage for that?
Here’s another Evans blunder. It was even questioned by very knowledgeable sports writers…some on this site. Why trade for Longoria when Todd Frazier’s available? Sure he got tbay to take on spans contract. He even got tbay to eat some of Longoria’s contract. But Frazier, he signed pretty cheap. Man, that .235 average and 6 hrs sure woulda fit nicely with the giants.
And today, Holland, melancon, dyson and Watson shut out the red hot nats. Pablo hitting 400 replacing belt. Will Smith virtually hitless since return. Cueto dominating before injury. ALL EVANS pickups.
What a dope!
And Gorkys, Hanson and Hundley? I forgot these Evans blunders. Drafting Bart, considered the best hitter in the draft. Evans has to go!
I’ve been sounding the alarm about trout not sticking around, dam Moreno get ride of Scioscia and put a championship team together…….Moreno you lied to us angel fans long enough, money isn’t enough trout wants to win and win and be in the thick of it over and over again.
Have the Angels even won a playoff game since Trout was drafted, let alone called up?
Poor guy
Not Poor
Well, you know what I mean. Poor luck into that system
It is a bummer that a guy who may become the best player of all-time hasn’t yet made the postseason. It does show the parity and team aspect of baseball – it’s the only major sport that has featured nine different teams in its last five championship series, and because of the nature of baseball, Trout can’t just come to bat with the game on the line the way Lebron or Curry or whoever the great NHL guy can.
He has played in the postseason, but the team lost 3 straight and was bounced. What the story was stating was that Trout hasn’t WON a game in the postseason.
The so called World Series not talking about a playoff game.
Well, Trout’s team hasn’t won a game in the postseason. This isn’t tennis or golf. Baseball is the hardest sport to make the postseason in, let alone win a championship,
He’s best off staying and extending with the Angels despite the playoff drought. Can’t do anything about the injuries that have kept them out of it, namely Ohtani recently.
As an Angel fan for 30 + years….. No way in hell would I even consider resigning with the Angels if I had Trout’s talent. Sorry Halo clowns…. I like to win. And hey! Maybe Trout okay with losing year after year. If so you have a win win situation.
Saw “Giants, Trout” and got idiotically excited.
In my teens I developed anxiety watching the angels blow leads and Donnie Moore give up that hr to Henderson not in my old age I getting the same anxiety watching trout slip away for the lack of effort Moreno should sell to a true angel fan!!!
Why do people think that Belt’s contract is untradeable? His closest comp is Hosmer, Belt has a career 128 OPS+, and a career 22.6 WAR, while Hosmer’s career OPS+ is 112 with a career 15.8 WAR (per BBRef).
Hosmer’s contract runs 4 years longer, and he’s making $5MM more per season than Belt. Even though Hosmer’s salary will drop to $13MM per in the last 3 years, if Belt’s contract is so bad as to be untradeable, then Hosmer’s has to be one of the worst contracts in MLB history.
Plus, I seriously doubt the Giants even want to trade the guy that has been their 2nd best hitter for the past several years and is their best hitter this year.